Flexible pipe joint



Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,626

l lz.l A. RussELl.

l FLEXIBLE PIPE JOINT Original Filed Jan. 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,626

. E. A. RUSSELL FLEXIBLE PIPE JOINT J Original Filed Jan. 19, 1925 vf n /wf *W1 falla/7%. A

Y a pipe` joint provided with sealing means iny Patented ug. 2l, 1928.'k

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD n. misslingen CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNonTo vnrononltiinn'rme COMPANY, INc.,oF oIIIcAeo, ILLINoIsA ooItrORAIION OF NEW YORK..

FLEXIBLE PIPE JOINT.

original application inea January 19, i925", ser'iaif No. 1,407.- fiiivided and thisy application niedrebruary 27, Y192e. serial No. `.9i-,11150.

My invention relates to aV flexible pipev joint of the` type comprising `a socket 1neinber, a` ball member, and articulatingv means between the' ball and vsocket members to alloxv movement of said kinemberswith respect to each other Within certain limits, the articulating means being. preferablysuch-as tohold theball memberout otcontact with the socket member so that high internal pressure does notseriously affect the ilexibility of tion, as would be the case it the ball turned in a closely fitting sphericallyc'urved socket.

` The principal object ot' the invention is to provide sealing-means for a joint oii this sort including a gasket ot' rubber composition,A

or the like, arranged between the socket member and the inner 'end of the ball mem! ber, which sealing means Willbe self adjusting to accommodate itself to the Wear, bot-h ot'fythe gasket and olf the other parts' of the" the train lines on modern railway trains and the sealmust be effective at alltimesand under-all conditions notkonly to prevent Waste ,of the jliuid but also ito preventdestruction or disintegration of the gasket which fis ylikely to take place'if a leak' of -higlipres-k sure steam, forexainple, is allowed to'start.v

TheY invention is illustrated in certain preferred embodiments, in the acco,mpany-r v kthe innery `end of the ball member ,is'an' eX- ingdrawings,- wherein isa longit accordance with my presentinvention. n FiglEZ'is a sectional'vietv on line`22 oi Fiel .f Fig. 3 ,isv alogitudinal-view, 'in perspective, ot the sealing means."

Fig. 4@ is a longitud'nalvieiv,with certain` parts` not shown, of a joint like thatshown `in Fig. ,1, but provided with a modified form of sealing means.

the joint* through excessive fric-x j Suchk connection must be flexible under the high pressures carried iny udinal sectional` view of.

Figi `5 is a sectional perspective of the Sealing Y means shown inl Fig. 4;

Fig.' Gis a View similar to Fig. 4 butiembo'dyingcertain further modifications, and

Fig. 7 is'a sectional perspective of `'apart of .the Sealing means vshown in' Figi.' 6.

Referring iirst to Figs. 1, 2 and 1,0 des ignates a socket member having a cylindrical bore 11r1` and" inwardly projecting shoulders' 12 and 13. 111 is a bally member extending within but out of Contact With theinner surface of theh socket memberl and vformed with neck portion 15 having a flange 1G iabbeted at 17 for a swivel ring 18 which is revoluble on the ilangge'le ofthe neck ot the j ball member.`L The rsocket member" is shown. as provided with a threaded,'portion 19 and the ball member with a threaded portion 20. 21 indieatesapipe securedto the ball member and' forming part of the iiexiblc pipe connection of which the joint as a 4Whole(constitutes an element.y

vThe ball member is suitably articulated,

forfnniversal movement, Withthe socket memberl Preferably the swivel ring 18 formed' vvith a pair of 'diamet'rically arrange'darms 22 provided with pivot studs 23, the inner endsy 24 'of which project into sockets 25 `set into a ring 26 surrounding the Outer end of" the' socketk member 10. At

righti angles to the pivotstuds are a pair oit piifot studsf27 secured to and extending through the ring 26 and".pimentda into sockets" formed in bosses `28 on the socket member 10. lith the construction of ,jointV i as described the'ball and socket members are capable ot'funiversal movement with respect:

to each yother Within certain `linfiits' and also of sjviveling or 'rotative movements axially vofthe joint.

.Arra'ngedbetween the socket member` and teriorly cylindrical' gasket 29 of rubber composition. `This Ygasket has a, spherical s'ur- .face 30kM to fit the outer surface" of theball freely slidable in the socket vsofthat it has' a bodimentof'the invention shown the inner `member; AThefoutfer cylindrical surface of l the'gasket makes a fairly snug fit with the leu bore of the socket member but the gasket is,`

end of they gasket" is provided with a metal" Q Y the gasket.

armoring ring V31 formed preferably with an outturned external flange 82 and with a channel-shaped internal flanged portion 83.

im artinO sariiw oressure to the/gasket.l p C D D As a matter of fact, a spring is necessary only when the joint is not under steam. Vhen under steam the fiuid pressure will keep the gasket in its operative position and give it the necessary follow-up4 action. Thev corrugated diaphragm 34 performs twoad-v ditional functions: It effectively excludes the steam from such crack or space as there may be between the gasket and the socket member. This is important particularly when` steam first enters the joint and the gasket is relatively cold. It also expands under internal pressure so as to increase lthe forward pressure 4on the gasket.

A somewhat different sealing arrangement is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The gasket 38 is provided with an Varmoring ringr39y having aflange 40 extending loverthe entire exterior surfaceof thek gasket. To this ring is beaded at ,41 a flexible diaphragm 42 hav-` ing a cylindrical portion 43 terminating ina Hange 44 beaded over a gasket 45 as vindicated at 4G. The gasket 45 is of relatively soft material and bears against shoulder 47 on the socket member 48. A coiled spring 49 is interposed between flange 44 andthe armoring ring 39. This spring operates to keep thek gasket'pressed against the ball member 50 when the joint is not under steam, and to .force the gasketL 45; against shoulder 47. I have shown theflange 40 of'r the armoring ring struck into the gasket atV 5l for the purpose of securing these parts together.` The annulus 42 is suiliciently flexible to allow the follow-up movement of A sealing device more likethatshown in Figs. '1, 2 and 8, but .with certain modifica-` tions, is illustrated in Figs. 6 and. The socket member is made in two sections 52,

A53, the section 52 having` an internally threaded cap portion 54 engaging the threaded end 55 of section 53. Thefgasket 56 is provided with an armoring ring 57 shown as having a cylindrical flange ,'58 overlapping the outer surface of' the gasket.

A'. `corrugated metallic y diaphragm 59 hasl its p 2 y A i, 1,681,626

outer edge beadedat 60 to ring 57 and its innerk edge beaded at 6l to a ring 62 which isclainpedv between the two `'sections 52, 53 of the socket member. This diaphragm serves a spring to hold the gasket in place against `thefball member 63 when thefjoint is not' understeain' When steani-or'other fluid underpressure is admitted to the joint the diaphragm' is expanded so as to main lrtain sufiicientpressure `against the 4gasket kto `insure Athe desiredfollowaip action. vThe engagement of the upper edge of the dia- Aphragn'iwitli the socket membereifectively prevents 4any leakagehofsteani between .the-

louter surface of the gasketfand the bore of the'socket member. Such. sealing'means is particularly desirable when the rgasket is completely Larmored, `since in such kcase the expansion of the gasket under heat can not be relied upon. to.effectthenecessary seal. On the other hand, khe arinoring :of the gasket increases its, life.

This application isV a division `of myy coV y pending application Serial No.,` 1407. lfiled" January 19.17925, and renewed anuary 9,(

1926. u Realizing that theinventionis susceptible of furthermodifications, I desire to cover rall differences in vconstruction within the scope of the appended claims.y yIclaimzfp v In flexible pipe connection, ya-socket member having `a ysubstantially cylindrical recess, a ball' meinber'projecting within this recess, connectingimeans for. holding the ball centered within but out of Contact withy the socket member and'permittin'g free angu lar moveinentthereof, a gasket freely slidable withinthc recess and bearing at one end against the ball member, asealing device comprisingfan annular follower behind the gaskct,.an@annular plate clamped into the socket member, and a flexible sealing meniber secured at opposite edges to the fellower and the plate. y

'2'. In a flexible pipeconnection, a socket f member `having a substantiallycylindrical recess, a ball member projecting within this recess, connecting means. for holding the" i ball centered within but outof contactfvwith the socket member and permitting free angular vnimjeinent thereof, a gasketfreely slidablewithin therecess and bearing at one endy against the ball member, and' a sealing device comprising an annular follower ybehind the gasket, an annular plate clamped y n into the socket member, Y and' ya" corrugated "diaphragm mounted vWithin the recessv behind theV gasket and vsecured at one end to the follower and at itsother end to the plate.. y

k3. In a flexiblefjoint, thelcoinbination of an interiorly cylindrical socket member, a ballfmember projecting into thesocke't inem- -ber, articulatingrmeans between. said mem'- bers permitting relative'angular Viilioveinents thereof while holding one of said members out of Contact with the other, an exteriorly cylindrical rubber composition gasket slidably arranged in and in Contact with the in terior cylindrical surface of the socket member to bear against'the inner end ofthe ball member, a metallic armoring on the outer cylindrical surface of said gasket, andA a flexible corrugated tubular diaphragm interposed between lthe inner end of said gasket anda part of said socket member.l

4. In a flexible pipe connection, a socket member formed of'two connected sections yand having a substantially cylindrical recess, a ball member projecting within the recess, connecting means for holding the ball centered within but out of contact with the socket member and permitting free angular movement thereof, a gasket freely slidable l witliin'the recess and bearing at one end against the ball member, and a sealing device comprising an annular plate clamped at its outer edge between the sections of the socket member, a follower engaging the rear end of the gasket and .having an annular vinwardly extending ilange, and a flexible member secured at opposite ends to the follower ilange and to the inner edge of the at. its outer edge between the sections of the socket member, a follower engaging the rear end of the gasket and having `an annular inwardly extending flange, and a corrugated diaphragm secured at one end to the inner edge of theplate and at the opposite end to the flange on the follower.

6. In a flexible joint, the combination of a socket membej'jhaving ka cylindrical bore, a

ball member extending into ythe socket member, means for articulating said ball member with the socket member, with capacity for universal movement with respect' thereto, an,` exteriorly cylindrical annular gasket of coml pressible.non-metallic material closely `litting but-slidable within the socket member against the inner end of tlie'ballmember, an

annular metallic follower engaging the rear end of the gasket, and a tubular long iitudi` nally expansible metallic'sealing member interposed under compression between ,the follower and a portion of the socket member whereby the gasket is yieldingly forced beV tween the socketand ball members with a `capacity for follow-up movement to allow for wear of the parts, the tubular member forming a continuous wall around tlie steam passage lto seal the joint against escape of steam between the gasket andsocketinember in all positions of the gasket.

socket member having a cylindrical bore, a ball member extending into the socket member, means for articulating said ball memberv with the socket member, with capacity for universal movement with respect thereto, an

. 70 7. Ina flexible joint, the combination of a` `exteriorly cylindrical annular gasket of compressible lnon-metallic material closely tvting but slidable within the socket member against the inner end of the ball member, an

annular metallic follower engaging the rear end of the gasket, and atubular corrugated metallic diaphragm yinterposed under com-` pression between tlie follower` and a portion of the socket member whereby the gasket is yieldingly forced between ythe socket and ball members with a capacity for `follow-up movement to allow for wear of the parts, the l tubular member forming a continuous wall around the steam passage to seal thel joint against escape of steam between the gasket and socket member in all positions of the gasket. Y l f EDWARD A. RUSSELL. 

